I. Field of Invention
This invention applies to the field of weapons and cartridges which are capable of firing low impulse non-lethal payloads and other payloads from automatic weapons.
The present invention relates in general to the field of ammunition, and it particularly relates to a payload mechanism for low impulse cartridges used in automatic weapons. More specifically, the present invention relates to a low impulse payload cartridge for use in automatic weapon systems such as the 40 mm MK19 Grenade Machinegun, though the inventive concept is applicable to any caliber of weapon and ammunition. The present invention relates to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/351,978 now patented, U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,889 to Frank Dindl, titled "Low Impulse Telescoping Cartridge", filed on Jul. 12, 1999, and commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
II. Background of the Invention
Payload type munitions (non-lethal multiple rubber balls, bean bags, foam batons, wood batons, etc.) have been mostly limited to single shot or manually operated weapons, with of course the exception of shotguns and other weapons purposely designed to work with shot shell cylindrical cartridges.
The U.S. Military, however, has the need to fire payload type munitions from such automatic weapons as the 40 mm MK19 Grenade Machine Gun. Such weapons fire lethal rounds which use rounded tips to provide reliable weapon function. On the other hand, payload type munitions require an opening in the tip of the cartridges to allow payloads to be launched.
Automatic weapons such as the 40 mm MK19 Grenade Machinegun are designed to use ammunition with a specific external envelope. The external dimensions of a payload cartridge must be compatible with the weapon from which it is fired. The cartridge configuration must also withstand the forces encountered during weapon feeding and cycling.
Additionally, the typical opening for launching a payload can be described as cylindrical. Since a simple cylindrical cartridge tip is normally not reliably compatible with most automatic weapon mechanisms, a cover must be provided to provide the necessary external cartridge dimensions and be robust to withstand the forces encountered during weapon operation. However, the cover must open on firing to allow the payload to be expelled.
In summary, there is a great and still unsatisfied need for a payload mechanism for low impulse cartridges used in automatic weapons. Exemplary payloads include liquids, solids and powders, and include nonlethal payloads such as rubber balls, wood batons, foam batons, and rubber projectiles. A need also exists for firing obscurant payloads, which are typically powdered materials.
Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide the rounded nose configuration essential for reliable weapon function in weapons such as the 40 mm MK19GMG, while at the same time providing the requisite payload for launch.
Another object is to provide a low impulse payload cartridge with an external configuration which is compatible with conventional automatic weapon systems such as the 40 mm MK19 Grenade Machinegun.
Yet, another feature of the present invention is to provide an ammunition configuration that provides a cylindrical opening for launching the payload where the opening approaches the size of bore of the weapon barrel to allow for the launching of low velocity and/or low mass projectiles or payloads such as non-lethal multiple rubber balls, batons, rubber projectiles, powders, and a variety of other low impulse projectile configurations while functioning the MK19 Grenade Machinegun or other firearms in a fully automatic mode.
Finally, another feature of the present invention is to provide a fully automatic weapon function without requiring changes to the weapon itself, while permitting effective firing of reduced velocity and/or reduced mass projectiles. These and other features and advantages of the invention are achieved by a low impulse payload cartridge. Other objects of this invention will appear hereinafter.